MOTUnation.com

Hi
Am I screwed now?
I just updated to an older Mac Pro to a Mac Studio M2 Max
I really like my two Motu HD896 units and would like to continue using them as they have Black Lion mods
They are FireWire
Is there a reliable ( and safe ) FireWire to thunderbolt 4 adapter that will work to be able to connect to my Motu units?
Or any other suggestions.

Thanks
Don

Nope, you've gotta go Apple FW to TB2 adapter, and then TB2 to TB3 adapter. It's about $100 or so just to connect one of the older FW units to a TB Mac. Apple was done with Firewire for good by the time TB3 came out, and those adapters never got an 'updated' TB3 version. Nowadays you have to go through the same hassle just to connect one of their TB interfaces to a Mac. It's the reason my 828x will never get used over TB (not to mention I would have to keep the interface right next to the computer due to the short TB cables).

My RME Fireface 800 has been a death by a 1000 cuts. Ghosted by support. One step forward, two steps back, etc. etc.

I got an older OWC dock with a firewire port, which works, but it just trades one set of problems for others.

donreynolds wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:32 pm Hi
Am I screwed now?
I just updated to an older Mac Pro to a Mac Studio M2 Max
I really like my two Motu HD896 units and would like to continue using them as they have Black Lion mods
They are FireWire
Is there a reliable ( and safe ) FireWire to thunderbolt 4 adapter that will work to be able to connect to my Motu units?
Or any other suggestions.

Thanks
Don

Duplicate post.

I already answered your other post from yesterday.

viewtopic.php?t=73694

Update: I finally decided to embrace the future. If I did all the fixes to make my 896HD work, I figure I will be trading old problems for new problems and will be beating a dead horse.

When I upgraded my old Mac Pro to the max studio M2 Max, not only were my Motu units rendered obsolete, but also my two monitors .

So, I went ahead and bought an Acer 49” curved screen ( lots of screen landscape now)

And purchased an Antelope discrete 8 pro synergy core audio interface. There was a pretty nice discount going on and a full Fx library.

I was deciding and narrowed it down to several moru units, the Focusrite Clarett, Apollo X8 P ( it was nice, but too expensive for my budget)

I think /hope the Antelope does well for me.

Now to upgrade DP and see what plugins from other vendors still work… gonna be a headache I am thinking…
Going to eBay my two 896HD units. They have Black Lion mods which improved them tremendously. I really liked those units.. they were great. I doubt I will get more than $100 each now.. that’s so crazy, but it is what it is..

Any thoughts on my purchases from those that are in the know?? Ha ha, I need some reassurance, lol

I have no opinion on the Focusrite or Antelope. Both are highly regarded units.

The difference in RTL between "Fast USB 2" and TB3 audio interfaces is about the same as moving your head closer to or further from your monitor speakers — hard to go wrong there.

Your 896 operates over FW400 and that is a little slower and the hardware I listed in the other thread cannot make them faster. Assuming the units are in good shape, you can still use them for less than $125 in adapters and cables. You would create an Aggregate Device in Apple's Audio MIDI Setup.app (both MOTU and Apple have directions for doing this). So that option is always open to you. Those same instructions I gave in the other link enable my 828mkII FW, too, on my M2 Ultra Studio but I don't use it much since a simpler Fast USB 2 interface does what I want. The 828 is on my shelf if I need it.